Brooding-coop.



A. W. ALTORPER. BROODING COOP. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1908.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

2SHEETS-SHEET l.

Ssweufoz A. WA liorfcr:

A. W. ALTORFER. BROODING COOP. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1908.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.-

ANDREW a. Gamma c0. Pumaummuwm wnsnwmun, nv c ALPHEUS W. ALTORFER, OFBOANOKE, ILLINOIS.

BRoonINe-cooP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

Application filed August 11, 1908. Serial No. 448,008.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALrnnUs An 'ronrnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Roanoke, in the county of lVoodford and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brooding- Coops, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The presentinvention appertains to structures for housing chicks andother animals, such as rabbits and the like, which will protect the sameagainst the inroads of minks, rats and like enemies, and which may beeasily and quickly folded into compact form when not required forimmediate use so as not to be in the way or occupy space that may beotherwise advantageously utilized.

The invention also provides a coop of the character described which willinsure thorough ventilation, sanitation and protect the chicks fromdraft and also provide an inelosure in conjunction with the broodingchamber to admit of the chicks having freedom. without being exposed tothe ravages of their natural enemies.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the meansfor effecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings.

lVhile the invention may be adapted to differentforms and conditions by.changes in the structure and minor details without departing from thespirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred e1nbodiment isshown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a brooding coop embodying theinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central longitudinal section there of.Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in thedirection of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of aportion of one of the sides. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of aportion of the partition, showing both the screen and the solid doorsfor covering the opening thereof. Fig. 6 is a detail section on the line66 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2, showing theinterlocking joint formed between a side and an end section.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The framework of the coop comprises ends 1 and 2 and sides 8, the latterbeing inclined so as to form a top closure. The several parts 1, 2 and 3constitute metal sections preferably of galvanized iron, which is bothdurable and light, besides admitting of the formation of interlockingjoints, so that the several. sections may be connected or disconnectedby a relative sliding movement incident to the slipping of the partsboth when assembling the sections or dismembering the structurepreliminary to reducing the same to a knock-down condition. Thestructure is divided by a partition 4 to form a brood chamber and aneXercising chamber. The brood chamber is closed, whereas the sides ofthe exercising chamber are open or slotted to admit light and air. Thebrood chamber is provided with a bottom 5, whereas the exercisingchamber is without a bottom other than the earth upon which the coop isplaced, thereby enabling the chicks to scratch and pick.

The sides 3 are of similar formation, an end portion of eachcorresponding to the part inclosing the brood chamber being solid,whereas the opposite end portion is formed with slots 6 to provideopenings to admit air and light. The slots 6 are formed by parallelslits which are intersected at their ends by other cross slits, portionsbordering upon the parallel slits being bent from the sections toprovide slots 6 and flanges 7, the latter serving to stiffen andstrengthen the sides. The parts separating the slots 6 form in effectslats or bars which by reason of their formation are an integral part ofthe sides. The end portion of each side 3 is bent outward, as shown at8, forming an olfset, thence parallel with the side, as shown at 9 andrecurved, as at 10, to embrace an outer flange 11 along the edge of thefront 1 or back 2 forming the end sections. The end sections when theparts are assembled, is confined between the off-set 8 and the foldformed between the parts 9 and 10. After the end sections have beenplaced in position, the sides are slipped in place first one then theother, the outer flanges 11 of the end sections passing into the spacesformed tom, ends and sides by metal sections, therebetween the parts 9and 10, inward displacement of the end sections being prevented by theoff-set portions 8 against which they bear. A cap strip 12 closes thespace formed between the upper edges of the sides 3 and said cap stripis retained in place by any suitable means. The front section 1 isformed with slots similar to the slots 6 of the sides 3, the purposebeing to admit air and light. The back section 2 has an opening which isclosed by means of a door 13, 1 the same being lunged and adapted to besecured when closed by any suitable fastening means. Openings 14 areformed in the upper portion of the back section 2 for ventilation,portions being pressed outward from the section to provide saidopenings. The partition 41 like the end sections, is of triangular formand its edge portions are adapted to interlock with inner flanges of thesides. For this purpose the inclined edges of the partition are providedwith outer flangesformed by bending a portion of each edge upon itself,as shown at 15, thence outward, as shown at 16, the spaces between thebent portions 15 and 16 receiving the inner flanges of the sides. Theinterlocking flanges of the sides 3 consist of flanges 7, the innermostones being selected so that the inclosing sides and top of the broodchamber are slotted. The lower portion of the partition 4:, as also theback section 2, has an inner flange 17 upon which the bottom 5 rests.The inner flanges 1.7 are parts of the sections 4 and 2, being formed bybending the lower edge portions of said sections upward, thence out ard,whereby the flanges 17 are located some distance from the lower edges ofthe sections 2 and 1.

Communication between the two chambers of the coop is had by means of anopening formed in the partition 4, said opening beingclosed by means ofa screen door 18 and a solid door 19, the latter covering the screendoor so as to exclude light and prevent d 'afts. When the door 19 isopened air and light are admitted into the brood chamber through thescreen door and when the latter is opened, the chicks have unobstructedpassage between the brood and exercisin g chambers.

hen the coop is set up, the several sec-- tions are connected both byslip and interlocking joints. lVhen the coop is not required forimmediate use, the sections may be readily separated and placed one uponthe other in a knock-down condition, thereby occupying a minimum amountof space for convenience of handling and storing. By reason of thepeculiar formation of the coop, access may be readily had thereto,either for feeding or for giving the chicks any required attention. Itis noted that the brood chamber is entirely closed at its bot bypreventing the natural enemies of chickens reaching the same.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A coop having metallic side walls provided with transverse slots, themetal forming the side walls of said slots being pressed inwardly toproduce spaced reinforcing flanges, a partition between the side *allsand having its opposite vertical edge portions bent and re-bent toprovide outwardly extending guide flanges adapted to receive andinterlock with the adjacent reinforcing flanges of said side walls.

2. A coop having metallic side walls pro vided with transverse slots,the metal forming the side walls of said slots being pressed inwardly toproduce spaced reinforcing flanges, end walls having interlockingengagement with the side walls, one of said end walls having its loweredge bent upwardly in spaced relation to the bottom thereof to produce alaterally extending supporting flange, a partition interposed betweensaid side walls and having its opposite edge portions bent and re-bentto provide outwardly extending guide flanges adapted to receive theadjacent reinforcing flanges of said side walls and having its loweredge bent upwardly and laterally to form a supporting flange, and abottom section restin on the supporting flanges of the end wafl andpartition.

3. A knock-down coop of the character described, comprising sheet metalsections comprising a partition, ends and sides, the latter having anend portion formed with openings and the-opposite end portions madesolid, the side walls of the openings being pressed inwardly to formflanges and the ends of the said sides havin portions oif-set and theextremities of the 0 -set portions rebent, the end sections having theiredge or tions formed with outer flanges eonfinec between the ofl-set andrebent end portions of the said sides, the partitions forming brood andexercising chambers having outwardly extended flanges at its edges toreceive inner flanges of the sides and said partition and the backsection having inner flanges near their lower edges, a met-a1 bottom forthe brood chamber support-ed upon the inner flanges of the partition andback, and doors closing openings formed in said partition and backsections.

4. A coop comprising a substantially triangular metallic body portionhaving converged side walls, a portion of each being imperforate and theremaining portion thereof provided with transverse slots, the metalforming the side walls of said slots being pressed inwardly to producespaced reinforcing flanges, substantially triangular walls forming theopposite ends of the body portion and having interlockingengagementlaterally to produce a supporting flange,

vwith the adjacent side walls, one of said end and a bottom sectionresting on the supwalls being provided with spaced horizontal portingflange of the end wall and said parslots and the other with an inwardlyextend tition. 7

ing supporting flange spaced from the botl In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature tom of said end wall, a sglostantially trianguin presenceof two witnesses.

lar partition interpose between the side walls and havin its oppositevertical edge ALPHEUs ALTORFEI portions provide d with guide flangesadapted I itnesses: to receive the adjacent flanges of the side S. H.AL'roRFER, walls and its lower edge bent upwardly and 1 H. D.I-IOLLENBAGK.

